Decathlon Australia’s Post

An incredible summer Olympics in Paris is now complete... 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 % 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗦 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀): However... The influx of money into college sports through NIL (and looming legislation) could 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 of the Olympics forever. ❶ redistribution of resources, with less attention and funding available for Olympic-specific training programs/sports ❷ with financial incentives from college sports and NIL deals, athletes may prioritize college competitions & endorsements over Olympic training ❸ more athletes focusing on revenue-generating sports ❹ traditionally funded by national organizations and limited sponsorships, may need to revise the playbook to have a more modern approach 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀. Interesting times ahead!

🇺🇸🥇🥈🥉🇺🇸 No matter the way current developments (NIL, division / conference realignments) impact college sports down the road: 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀. Impressive stats not only within individual sports, but also team sports. ✅ ~𝟭,𝟮𝟯𝟱 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀 ✅ ~𝟮𝟱𝟯 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 ✅ ~𝟲𝟬 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 Alongside displayed big names, much smaller programs such as 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗰, 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 or 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗴𝗮 have also "produced" Olympic participants and medalists. Super interesting overview by the NCAA providing multiple search filters: https://lnkd.in/dA9fuAyi

Here are my thoughts amid all the commentary on our athletes' medal count. The graphic below speaks volumes about why we're where we are in the medal standings. In the top-ranked countries, sport is treated with serious respect and prestige—not just during the Olympics but every single day. This means continuous financial, infrastructural, and technological support, which fuels young people to train and achieve greatness. In Poland, we have sufficient resources, and in many disciplines, the infrastructure is there too. However, an athlete's path is no longer seen as a dream career for many young people. A graphic was circulating on Polish LinkedIn a while back showing that our teens want to become programmers. Globally, many wanted to be athletes. And that's where the problem lies. Less interest in sports leads to fewer successes. This, in turn, leads to a lack of media and sponsor interest, creating a vicious cycle. Hats off to our Olympians who manage to succeed on such an uneven playing field.

Collegiate athletes have become powerful lifestyle ambassadors, especially since the NCAA’s 2021 decision to allow them to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This change has positioned student-athletes as key influencers in marketing and social media, enabling them to connect with and inspire younger generations in meaningful ways. These athletes play a pivotal role in promoting health, wellness, and positive lifestyles. Their relatability—being closer in age and experience to their followers—gives their endorsements a unique credibility that resonates deeply with their audiences. Beyond social media, collegiate athletes are also deeply involved in their communities, mentoring younger athletes and encouraging sports participation through outreach programs and brand partnerships like Under Armour's partnerships with student-athletes. 🏃🏽♀️➡️A great example is Gabby Thomas, a multiple Olympic medalist and Harvard graduate who uses her platform to advocate for diversity in STEM. Her journey, including pursuing a Master’s in epidemiology, serves as a powerful inspiration for young women to pursue careers in science and technology. These athletes are shaping the aspirations and behaviors of youth, making them essential figures in today’s cultural landscape. ℹ️NCAA data from the 2021-2022 season reveals that Latvia had 97 Division I and II student-athletes, with the highest representation in women's basketball, tennis, and track and field. Meanwhile, our neighboring Baltic country, Lithuania, had 74 student-athletes. In contrast, the Netherlands, another small EU country, had 507 athletes.

Day 4! Today, I thought I would highlight this question: “What communities are you a part of that have helped you?” A little over a year ago, I needed something to join in college. I had friends, school, and a job but I needed an activity that I could put progress toward and make something out of. In middle school and high school, I played rugby and enjoyed the sport so much. Unfortunately, my injury took me away from the game and I was afraid to get back into it. In 2023, I made it a mission to not be afraid to put myself out there. This started with getting involved with the UNL Men’s Rugby Club and since I have developed a brotherhood of lifelong teammates and friends. I’m never the biggest, strongest, or fastest player on the field but I have a group of men around me who encourage me to come back every day. From practice, to roadtrips, to taking the field on game days around the nation, I could not be prouder to be a part of a group of men. This is one of my inspirations to become a sports agent. I had people around me who supported me when I went down with my injury and a lot of athletes lack that. Especially in professional sports, having a team to lean on makes the world of a difference and it is noticeable with athletes across the world. What to take from this post: 1. Always get back up 2. Put yourself out there 3. Support those who need it 4. Never judge a book by its cover

Some key takeaways here: - If the NCAA were a nation, it would be leading the gold medal tally - More than 1200 former NCAA Athletes competing at the games - 44 Australian NCAA Athletes It's time for us to recognize how special this pathway is for athletes here in this country. The stats do not lie. In terms of a legitimate pathway, the US College System offers the opportunity to develop in a professional environment whilst also getting access to a university education. I can only see more and more Australian athletes begin to utilize the US college pathway as a legitimate pathway to further success and development in their chosen sports.

Great talk, thank so much, Robin Matthews 🙌🤩 Tracing your journey and offering tips/advice that you’ve learned along the way was invaluable knowledge for the cohort. My key take home points from your talk for the students to consider in their early careers were: don’t settle for being average, always strive to do the best job possible; don’t shy away from the crappy roles/tasks; create and utilise contacts at every opportunity; and don’t be afraid to fail - you have to put yourself in a position to learn…and sometimes the best learnings come from errors. Now, where’s my memory card? 🙈😅 #efl #sportmanagement

One of my favorite times of year is the Olympics, and this is the first time in several years I haven't been in school and could really enjoy it. The Olympics may be over, but there is so much we can learn from the coverage, the athletes, and from the overall experience that I think has value for Higher Education. Thanks to Volt for collaborating to share a few key takeaways. https://lnkd.in/gzKnddkm #highered #highereducation #higheredmarketing #highereducationmarketing

Why Aussie Schools Do Sports Differently Than America Explore the intriguing differences in school sports models between Australia and the US! Join SPEAKER_01 and SPEAKER_00 as they discuss how Australia’s unique approach fosters choice and engagement in sports, providing students with essential foundational experiences. Discover how these models shape young athletes' futures. #SchoolSports #AustraliaVsUS #YouthAthletics #SportsModels #AthleteDevelopment #SportsEducation #TrainingApproaches #StudentEngagement #SportingChoice #EducationalSports

Why Aussie Schools Do Sports Differently Than America Explore the intriguing differences in school sports models between Australia and the US! Join SPEAKER_01 and SPEAKER_00 as they discuss how Australia’s unique approach fosters choice and engagement in sports, providing students with essential foundational experiences. Discover how these models shape young athletes' futures. #SchoolSports #AustraliaVsUS #YouthAthletics #SportsModels #AthleteDevelopment #SportsEducation #TrainingApproaches #StudentEngagement #SportingChoice #EducationalSports